In many areas of the world, access to arable land and fresh water is significantly restricted. Such areas typically suffer from very low standards of living given the limited ability of people to grow food and the often harsh environmental conditions. Even in areas with relatively good levels of arable land and water, efficient food growth may be a challenge due to oversaturated growing conditions and/or seasonal land constraints. In all food growing environments the presence of weeds, vermin, pests, insects, and other parasitic organisms is a constant threat.
Variations in climate, soil conditions, and other factors generally limit the types of food crops that can be grown in any particular area. The advent of greenhouses has allowed the growing of certain crops in many regions of the world and times of the year that normally would not be optimal. Greenhouses, however, are typically large-scale, extensive structures that utilize expensive materials and can be costly to operate. Small-scale greenhouses have also been developed, but these structures are often expensive, complex and rely on heavy, expensive glass panels. This limits their portability and applicability to use in poor and developing regions. Another disadvantage associated with greenhouse systems is that they still require near normal amounts of water, soil nutrients, and space to grow crops in any significant amount.
What is needed, therefore, is a food growing system that provides an improved way to grow food where access to arable land and fresh water is restricted.